Anissa nodded. ‘I know a few shops we can go to. You can see if there’s anything she’ll like.’
* * *
They finished their cocktails and wandered out into the snow-covered streets. The light was already beginning to fade. People were bundled up in a variety of coloured parkas, hats and scarves.
Although it was bitterly cold, there was a warmth about Mont Coeur that afternoon. It might have something to do with the fact that this was the first time she’d really been on a proper date in years. Although she knew there was no chance of this going anywhere, no chance of things progressing—his life was in New York as a businessman and hers was here, focusing on her skiing plans for the future—it was nice to be around someone again. It was nice to look at someone and feel as if they were really interested in what you were saying. The electricity in the air between them didn’t hurt either.
But she was still curious. He’d mentioned the other night that he was here on family business. But he hadn’t mentioned any family he intended to buy Christmas presents for. She hadn’t seen anyone else visiting his chalet, so wasn’t he close to his family? Mont Coeur was a long way to come from New York if he wasn’t particularly close to his family.
They window-shopped along the street, Anissa pointing out a women’s fashion store, a traditional Swiss chocolate shop and a jewellery store.
But none of them seemed to capture Leo’s attention. Eventually she stopped and folded her arms. ‘Okay, what do you normally buy Keisa?’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t tell me. You internet-shop. You buy her perfume. Or some kind of designer scarf.’
Leo’s brow furrowed and he turned towards her. ‘Have you been spying on me?’
She studied his face and felt a little wave of sadness for him. Why would a guy as nice as Leo only have a PA to buy for at Christmas? It seemed...lonely.
‘Why don’t you use your imagination? Look at these gorgeous shops. Think about Keisa. What kind of a person is she? What does she like? Has she ever told you anything that would give a hint of what kind of gift might be a little more thoughtful, a little more personal?’
He gave a slow nod. ‘Okay, then. Let’s see if I can...’ he gave her a wink ‘...use my imagination.’
As they walked further along the street, his hand brushed against hers. Whilst the little bolt of energy was still shooting up her arm he took her hand in his. She didn’t object. In fact, it sent a flash of something through her head.
Her ex hadn’t like public displays of affection. He’d never held her hand. He’d never put his arm around her while they’d walked in the street. They’d dated for four years and had practically lived together for the year they’d been engaged. But deep down she wondered if they’d ever really been close.
Everything had been about skiing, about racing. About getting the best times. About coaching. They had never really had many of the traditional ‘dates’. Any dinner together had generally been work-related with other ski professionals from different countries. Any visit abroad had always been for a competition or about the sponsors. Just the simple act of taking her hand and Leo had made something pang inside her chest—made her feel as if she’d missed out.
‘Wait a minute, what about that place?’
Leo pointed across the street to an old-fashioned shop with tiny squares of window glass outlined in white wood. There was a small Christmas tree front and centre in the window.
Anissa nodded. ‘Yes, I’d forgotten about this place. They have lot of wood carvings, Christmas tree decorations, and I think they do some crystal jewellery too.’
Leo pushed open the door and a waft of cinnamon, pine and oranges surrounded them. The whole shop was filled with coloured twinkling lights. They walked around slowly, admiring the carved Christmas scenes, the array of coloured glass pendants and rings, and a whole host of unusual Christmas baubles.
Anissa pointed to a mauve-coloured pendant. ‘What about this one?’
Leo bent down to look at the oval-shaped stone. He wrinkled his nose. ‘It’s nice... I suppose, but...’ Then he looked up and his eyes widened. ‘Oh, wow.’
Anissa followed his gaze. The back wall of the shop was covered in rows and rows of cuckoo clocks.
Leo stepped over, moving from one to another. Each one was completely individual. Anissa had never really looked closely before at cuckoo clocks, but now she could appreciate the workmanship. She reached a hand up to touch one, hesitating, ‘I wonder how many hours one of these takes?’
Leo was moving along the line, studying each one. ‘The wooden Christmas scenes,’ he murmured. ‘Keisa has a whole collection. A whole village. She’s told me about them before. A bakery. A school. A Ferris wheel. A skating rink. A church.’
He smiled. ‘But she doesn’t have one of these.’
She could see the sparkle in his eyes. He turned to face her. ‘A cuckoo clock. I know that Austria, Germany and Switzerland all make them. But it’s kind of unique.’
Anissa smiled. ‘More personal than a bottle of perfume.’
He turned back and kept studying the clocks on the wall, before taking a sharp breath. ‘It’s this one. It’s definitely this one.’
Anissa moved closer to him and looked up. It was a beautiful wooden hand-carved cuckoo clock. Even from underneath, Anissa could see how intricate it was. It was a variety of shades of wood, with some areas carefully painted. There was the traditional cuckoo at the top behind a red door, two little balconies, one with a carved rocking chair, the other with a few birds perched on the edge. Underneath on one side were two children playing on a see-saw, a dog at their side. And on the other side was a Christmas tree with tiny red and blue baubles and a gold twinkling star on top. The whole clock was decorated with a dusting of snow. It really was a work of art.
Anissa felt a tear form in the corner of her eye. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she breathed.
‘Anissa.’ Leo appeared behind her, putting one hand at her waist and leaning over one shoulder. ‘What’s wrong?’
She reached up and brushed the tear away, shaking her head. ‘It’s nothing. I’m just being silly.’
‘Silly about what?’
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her voice from trembling, ‘It’s just...it looks so perfect. But you can tell the hard work, how painstaking it must have been to create.’ She held her hands out in front of it. ‘It’s like someone’s hopes and dreams have materialised right in front of you.’ Her mouth felt dry. ‘Not everyone gets that lucky.’
Leo’s other hand closed around her waist and he pulled her back against him, holding her still. Anissa was very conscious of her chest rising and falling. The wide, supportive feeling at her back.
Leo’s warm breath danced across her neck. His voice was low. ‘I know what you mean.’
She tensed. She knew Leo was distracted by family issues but she didn’t really know what they were. He was a billionaire—at least he must be if he was staying in one of those chalets—so hadn’t he already been lucky?
She took a deep breath. ‘You said you were here to see your family. Is something wrong? You haven’t mentioned them, just that things are...difficult.’
She watched as he swallowed and she saw the deep flash of pain in his eyes. ‘I... I guess you could say we’re estranged. My brother and sister—it was the first time that we’ve met.’
‘You just met?’ He’d already told her he was thirty-eight. Why on earth had it taken that long to meet his siblings?
He gave a slow nod. She could tell he was struggling already with what to say. This wasn’t her business. She knew that. And she didn’t want to push him to say more than he was ready to.
‘Up until a few months ago, Sebastian and Noemi didn’t know I existed—or I them. The first meeting was hard. I’m not sure how things will work out. I’m not sure I’m the kind of person to be part of that family.’
There was so much unsaid there. So much visible hurt. Pushing him at this point would be wrong. She turned to face him and reached out and ran her fingers through his hair.
She tried to keep her voice steady as she gave him a sad kind of smile. ‘So I guess you don’t feel so lucky, then?’
He shook his head. ‘Do you?’
She gulped and turned back to look at the beautiful clock. ‘Not right now,’ she admitted. ‘This year has been tough.’ She held up her hands. ‘Even Mont Coeur, it’s the place I need to be, somewhere I can get the chance to practise, but, honestly, for the last year it’s felt like a permanent reminder of what I’ve missed out on, what I should have been. What I still want to be.’
His hands slipped around her waist. He didn’t say a word, just continued to hold her in his arms. She felt comfortable there. And that was stupid. Because they’d only just met.
She leaned her head back against his chest. She wasn’t sure why but it felt safe to talk around Leo. It was even easier to talk when she didn’t have to look him in the eye. ‘Nothing like getting bad news and turning to your fiancé for support, only to see him move away so quickly he almost wins gold medals himself.’
‘That’s what happened?’ She could feel Leo stiffen behind her.
She nodded her head. ‘Yeah. No coach. No fiancé. No wedding. Way to help a girl when she’s feeling down.’ She was trying to sound ironic but instead she sounded tired and she knew that. But the truth was she was tired. Tired of trying so hard all the time on her own.
Leo’s lips brushed against her ear as he bent to speak low into her ear. ‘Well, one thing is quite clear, the guy didn’t deserve you—not for a second.’
His phone buzzed and he moved back. She hated how much she didn’t like that.
He spoke quietly. ‘Yeah, yeah. Hmm.’ He looked at her as she turned around. ‘Can you give me a minute?’ he said into the phone.
He turned back to her. ‘Okay?’
She nodded and tried to pull her thoughts together. ‘Should I ask the owner to parcel up the clock while you take your call?’
He nodded. ‘That would be great,’ he said as he strolled towards the door.
Anissa turned back to the clock. It was beautiful. It was a work of art. A masterpiece. Just like she eventually hoped she could be.
* * *
Leo didn’t like anything he was hearing. A business deal he’d been working on for the last year had developed a last-minute hitch. ‘Why hasn’t this been dealt with? He said what?’
Leo groaned. The business associate he was dealing with was an older man. It had taken a good few years to even begin the negotiations. Joe trusted him. He couldn’t leave this to anyone else. He had to deal with these problems himself. He gave a huge sigh, ‘Okay, I’ll come back. I’ll get the first flight.’
He finished the call. New York. He’d wanted to go back there for days. But somehow he knew when he got there, the chances of getting a flight back to Mont Coeur to spend Christmas with his new family would get slimmer and slimmer.
Here, he’d had the benefit of a little time. Everything in New York was generally about work, even down to the Christmas charity ball he was obligated to attend. As soon as he returned to the States...
He looked back through the window of the shop. Anissa was talking to the store owner as they wrapped the cuckoo clock in tissue paper and bubble wrap. His stomach clenched. The Christmas ball. The place he always took a date.
For the first time, the prospect of consulting his little black book suddenly didn’t seem so appealing. He felt for his wallet and strolled back into the store to pay for the clock.
‘Nearly done.’ Anissa smiled as he approached.
‘I have to go back to New York.’
Her face fell. ‘What?’
His skin prickled. She was upset. He hated that. He hated that fleeting look of hurt in her eyes. Within seconds she plastered a smile on her face. ‘Oh, of course.’
‘It’s business. A particularly tricky deal.’
Anissa pressed her lips tight together and nodded automatically.
The seed of an idea that had partially formed outside burst into full bloom in his head. He hated that flicker of pain he’d seen in her eyes when she’d talked about being in Mont Coeur and being permanently reminded of what she’d lost. It had seemed so raw.
Maybe, just maybe he could change things for her. Put a little sparkle and hope back into her eyes. Something that he ached to feel in his life too.
‘Come with me.’ The words flew out of his mouth.
Her eyes widened. ‘What?’
He nodded, as it all started to make sense in his head. ‘You said you’ve never really had a proper holiday. Come with me. Come and see New York. You’ll love it in winter. I can take you sightseeing.’
Sightseeing. The thing he’d never really got around to in New York.
Anissa’s mouth was open. ‘But...my job. I have lessons booked. I have chalets to clean.’
He moved closer to her. ‘Leave them. See if someone can cover. If you can only come for a few days—that’s fine. But come with me. I have a Christmas ball to attend and I’d love it if you could come with me.’ His hands ached to reach for her, but he held himself back. ‘I called you Ice Princess before, how do you feel about being Cinderella? Going to the most spectacular Christmas ball in New York? It will take your breath away, I promise.’
Her mouth was still open as her eyes widened. He could almost see her brain processing the invitation. She was considering it. She was actually considering it. And that built a whole host of hopes in his chest that still took him by surprise.
He moved closer. Close enough to drown out the Christmas scents from the shop and to let him just smell her. Anissa.
‘Come on, Anissa. Live a little,’ he whispered.
He could see her hesitation. See her worries.
But her pale blue eyes met his. There was still a little sparkle there. Still a little hope for him.
Her lips turned upwards. ‘Okay,’ she whispered back as he bent to kiss her.
CHAPTER FIVE
‘YOU’RE GOING. You’re definitely going.’
Anissa stared around her chalet, trying to still the rising panic in her chest.
She’d said yes on a whim. How could she look into those bright blue eyes and say anything else? Particularly when she’d been overwhelmed by emotions.
It was odd how looking at the care and attention to detail in one intricate clock could align itself in her head with someone completing their dream—and leaving her feel so far away from her own.
Chloe and Amy were staring at her expectantly from the sofa.
Anissa shook her head again. ‘I can’t. I must have been mad to agree. I’ve got lessons, shifts in the chalets.’
Amy stood up and shook her head. ‘We can cover them. Between us. We can cover those shifts. Ore and Anouska will help too.’
Anissa breathed in. ‘But the lessons...’
Chloe smiled as she turned her phone around. ‘Regan just texted. His dad’s better. He’s coming back. He can cover your lessons.’
Anissa gasped. Regan was one of the other ski instructors, who’d had to take time off at short notice to go home and visit his sick father.
Chloe nudged her. ‘You covered his lessons for more than a week at short notice. I’m sure he’ll cover yours. It’s time to go on the first proper holiday of your adult life. We’re sorted. Now, let’s see what we can pack.’
She bent over and scribbled something on a bit of paper. ‘Here’s my cousin’s contact details. She stays in New York. She’s at fashion college there. You need anything, or you change your mind about being there—give her a call.’
Amy had already made her way to the cupboard and dragged out a suitcase. ‘New York. New York. Here she comes.’ She dance
d about in front of Anissa in excitement, then struck a pose, with one finger on her chin. ‘Hmm, what do we think our fair maiden should wear when she’s with her handsome billionaire in New York?’
‘I have ideas,’ piped up Chloe. Anissa laughed. She couldn’t believe it. Things were actually coming together. She was going on holiday. She was going to New York.
With Leo.
Her heart gave a little flip-flop.
What on earth did this really mean?
* * *
His mind was full. Full of business dealings, full of family dealings, and full of a sense of relief that he was going to get out of Mont Coeur, at least for a few days.
The car he’d sent for Anissa pulled up in front of the private airport terminal. Anissa jumped out, frowning and flicking her head from side to side. ‘Where are we?’
He smiled. Today she had on a long bright blue wool coat, a black hat and leather gloves. Her blonde hair framed her face and the colour of the coat was reflected in her pale blue eyes, making them look more intense than ever. She was wearing make-up. Her lips were a little redder than before and her eyelashes longer and thicker.
For a few seconds Leo’s feet were frozen to the ground. He’d always thought Anissa was naturally pretty, but today...she was stunning.
She touched his arm. ‘Leo? I thought we were going to the regular airport?’
He snapped back to attention and signalled to the driver to get her case. ‘No. I have my own plane. Makes things simpler.’
She blinked, then blinked again, as if she was processing what he’d just told her. ‘You have your own plane,’ she repeated as he led her up the small detachable stairs and into the comfortable aircraft, nodding a greeting to the steward and stewardess.
There was no waiting. The flight plans had been lodged and cleared, and despite the surrounding snow and temperatures the plane and runway were ready for take-off.
* * *
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